Bills: SB 393, SB 414, SB 472, SB 578, SB 617, SB 710, SB 785, SB 973, SB 1059, SB 1062, SB 1352, SB 1450, SB 1502, SB 1547, SB 1566, SB 1567

Keywords: appraisal, tax code, property ownership, appraisal district, chief appraiser, homelessness, public notice, municipality, conversion of property, local government, housing, community engagement, electronic communications, municipal entities, transparency, public access, government accountability, property tax, reappraisal, data privacy

Bills: SB 393, SB 414, SB 472, SB 578, SB 617, SB 710, SB 785, SB 973, SB 1059, SB 1062, SB 1352, SB 1450, SB 1502, SB 1547, SB 1566, SB 1567

Keywords: appraisal, tax code, property ownership, appraisal district, chief appraiser, homelessness, public notice, municipality, conversion of property, local government, housing, community engagement, electronic communications, municipal entities, transparency, public access, government accountability, property tax, reappraisal, data privacy

Keywords: KY LRC YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiNwbov9r5c, 2026-06-21T07:17:06+00:00, 2.2.24, Data collected via generic collector engine, This is a Joint meeting of the House Standing Committee on Local Government and Senate Standing Committee on State and Local Government. Upon adjournment of this meeting the House Standing Committee on Local Government meeting will start. Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:06 Review of 2024 CDBG 00:02:08, 958, all, 2.2.42, 2.1.47

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh so beginning with governance uh the legislature has led periodic uh changes in how transit is governed
• :07:57.360> for That governance structure continued for That governance structure continued for
• The federal government correct.
• about Met Council governance and the other areas of metro governance and the Met Council.
• government government uh local government subcommittee<01:10:30.080> of<01:10:30.400> state

Bills: HF4693

Keywords: transportation, license plates, validation stickers, replacement fees, government fees, 1183, house

Summary: The Transportation Finance and Policy Committee approved the April 13, 2026 minutes and then heard a presentation from Charles Carlson of Metropolitan Transportation Services on regional transit governance and finance in the Twin Cities area. Carlson reviewed the history of transit governance from private streetcars and buses to public control, including the creation of the Met Council and Metropolitan Transit Commission in 1967, later fragmentation through suburban opt-outs and the Regional Transit Board, and the 1994 consolidation that made Metro Transit part of the Met Council. He also explained the role of the Transportation Advisory Board as a state-created advisory body to the council’s federally designated MPO function, and noted that any major structural change to the Met Council could trigger federal redesignation requirements. The presentation then focused on funding changes over time. Carlson said transit was long supported by fares, property taxes, and federal aid, but that property taxes for operations were prohibited in 2001, federal operating assistance ended, and the state shifted to general fund support and then motor vehicle sales tax revenue. He described the 2006 constitutional dedication of motor vehicle sales tax, the volatility of that revenue during the Great Recession, and the use of one-time state appropriations and later federal COVID relief to cover operating gaps. He said the 2023 legislature created the regional 3/4-cent transportation sales tax to stabilize transit operations, reduced the state’s rail operating obligation, and moved Metro Mobility/Metro Move into a state forecast-based program effective in 2025. Members asked several questions about the structure of suburban “opt-out” providers, including Maple Grove and Plymouth, and how they can contract with Metro Transit or private providers while still retaining control of their allocated funds. Carlson explained that replacement service municipalities receive statutory and formula allocations and choose how to use them. He also described Metro Move as a waiver-based service begun in 2024 that uses human services and Medicaid funds to reduce pressure on the state general fund. Later discussion covered ridership and service shares, with Metro Council providing the vast majority of regional transit service and suburban providers accounting for a small share. No votes or bill actions were taken beyond adoption of the minutes; the chair indicated a bill would be taken up later in the meeting.

Bills: HF3396

Keywords: property tax, task force, assessment, state revenue, local government, 1183, house

Bills: SB 2, SB 5, SB 10

Keywords: disaster relief, flood preparedness, emergency funding, local government support, meteorological forecasting

Bills: SB2, SB5, SB10

Keywords: disaster relief, flood preparedness, emergency funding, local government support, meteorological forecasting

Bills: SB2, SB5

Keywords: disaster relief, flood preparedness, emergency funding, local government support, meteorological forecasting

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman. in government are people who are open-minded.
• The guidance of the Office of Government Ethics.
• I am open to ideas on making government more efficient.
• Yeah, that figure is in the Office of Government Ethics report.
• Yeah, Office of Government Ethics releases it at a certain point in time.

Keywords: nominations, labor, health, veterans, Social Security, Elon Musk, transparency, government accountability

Summary: The meeting primarily focused on various executive nominations and their implications on labor and health affairs. Significant discussions surrounded the nomination of Mr. Sonderling as the Deputy Secretary of Labor, with members expressing concerns about workforce cuts affecting veterans and Social Security employees. There was also a debate led by a member regarding the authority and influence of private individuals, specifically citing Elon Musk's involvement in government decisions. Such discussions raised questions about transparency and accountability within governmental agencies, leading to a proposal for Mr. Musk to provide testimony before the committee.

Bills: HB 34, HB 128, HB 621, HB 748, HB 2259, HB 2960, HB 3113, HB 4749, SB 835

Keywords: property owners' association, free speech, assembly rights, government officials, political candidates, sexual abuse, nondisclosure, confidentiality, public policy, Trey's Law, elections, scannable ballots, voting technology, paper ballots, electoral process, jury service, juror qualifications, grand jury, petit jury, legal implications

Bills: HB 34, HB 128, HB 621, HB 748, HB 2259, HB 2960, HB 3113, HB 4749, SB 835

Keywords: property owners' association, free speech, assembly rights, government officials, political candidates, sexual abuse, nondisclosure, confidentiality, public policy, Trey's Law, elections, scannable ballots, voting technology, paper ballots, electoral process, jury service, juror qualifications, grand jury, petit jury, legal implications

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, House Bill 3748 allows for county governments to engage in partnerships with four-year institutions
• House Bill 3919 addresses one of the most contentious parts of county government: county fair boards.
• House Bill 4132 provides liability protection for local governments that follow recognized cybersecurity
• frameworks, encouraging responsible governance, and protecting taxpayer resources.
• Encouraging responsible governance and protecting taxpayer resources. Move for adoption.

Bills: HB3091, HB3314, HB3435, HB3748, HB3913, HB3919, HB4132, HB4203, HB4303

Keywords: county officials, residency requirement, dereliction of duty, removal process, government accountability, marijuana tax, public service impact tax, county funding, voter approval, local government, municipal bonds, ballot proposals, voting process, fund allocation, county government, administration, local resources, public institutions, construction, maintenance

Transcript Highlights:

• , and other local government entities.
• It does not eliminate local government authority.
• The local governments would handle all that.
• Should the local government be concerned about that by chance?
• , or because of government regulation and/or fees.

Bills: S0218, S0380, S0936, S0948, S0962, S0984, S1020, S1180, S1434, S1444, S1612

Keywords: land use, disaster recovery, local government, federal assistance, Hurricane relief, legal notices, public accessibility, government transparency, digital publication, government agencies, temporary door locking device, emergency safety, building code, training programs, fire exit security, affordable housing, land development, starter homes, local government regulations, housing shortage

Summary: The committee took up a series of land use, housing, local government, and public notice bills, along with a firefighter cancer bill and a bill on temporary door locking devices. SB 984 on firefighter cancer benefits and prevention was explained as clarifying access to death benefits and a one-time cancer payment for firefighters; it was reported favorably. SB 1612 required local governments to accept electronic payments online; it also passed favorably. SB 1180 created a recall framework for elected community development district board members and, through a strike-all amendment, also addressed synthetic turf enforcement and expanded compact urban mixed-use district definitions; the amendment was adopted and the bill was reported favorably. SB 936 allowed temporary door locking devices above the finished floor and directed the Building Commission to add standards to the Florida Building Code; it passed favorably. The committee also considered SB 380 on legal notices, which would let certain local government entities publish notices on their own websites or other designated sites instead of relying on newspapers in more cases. The Florida Press Association, Common Cause, and newspaper representatives opposed the bill, arguing it would fragment public notice access and make notices harder to find and verify, while supporters said it would modernize and reduce costs. The bill’s amendment clarified which agencies were covered, and the committee reported the bill favorably. SB 962 on affordable housing narrowed prior zoning preemption language so working farms and farm operations would not be unintentionally captured by Live Local-style rules; it passed favorably. SB 1444 on state preemption and religious expression, private clubs, and minor home construction drew support from religious freedom advocates and opposition from cities and counties, which warned of vague terms and overbroad preemption; it was reported favorably. The committee then approved SB 218, which would limit the reach of last session’s hurricane recovery land-use preemption to counties actually damaged by hurricanes and restore normal local land-use authority in unaffected counties. SB 1434 on infill redevelopment would streamline zoning and subdivision approvals for environmentally impacted parcels in certain urban counties to encourage housing on contaminated or underused land; counties and local-government groups opposed it as an overbroad preemption and raised concerns about the environmental threshold and density provisions, but the bill was reported favorably. SB 1020 on chickees prohibited local ordinances from blocking chickee construction if setback requirements are met and made unauthorized attempts to circumvent the building code a misdemeanor; it passed favorably. Finally, SB 948 on local government land development regulations and orders, as amended, proposed a statewide starter-home framework with lot-split and zoning changes to increase housing supply; local-government and planning groups warned it would function as a rigid statewide zoning code and could drive overdevelopment, while housing advocates supported it as necessary state action. The committee reported the bill favorably after extensive debate.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, sister parishes, mission schools in places like Africa and South America, they send these funds through
• Uh,<00:16:37.279> sister<00:16:37.680> parishes,<00:16:38.240> mission<00:16:38.639
• > schools<00:16:39.040> in Uh, sister parishes, mission schools in Uh, sister parishes,
• Um, I kind of echo Representative Rick Rehm on, you know, the federal government has done a lot to crack
• you know, Representative Rick Ree on, you know, the<00:33:09.760> federal<00:33:10.480> government

Bills: HB585

Keywords: Washington County, circuit clerk, compensation, county government, local legislation, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So it would just say in the law something that we already do, uh, as mandated by the federal government
• That's one of the key things from our committee is holding people accountable within the state government
• uh as mandated by the federal government uh as mandated by the federal government and<00:03:10.080
• accountable within the state government. accountable within the state government.
• So I think this kind of government.

Keywords: Government Structure - Room 210, 3 February, 2026; 11:00 A.M., 925, all

Summary: The committee took up several bills and committee substitutes, most of them described as cleanup or implementation measures tied to federal requirements. On SB 2623, Senator Sparks explained that the bill would create an apprenticeship advisory council needed to access federal Department of Labor apprenticeship funds; the committee adopted a reverse repealer and then passed the committee substitute. On the aging-related bill 2746, staff said it would update Mississippi statutes to reflect that the state is already the state unit on aging, clean up outdated language, and emphasize accountability for area agencies on aging; the committee passed it title sufficient do pass. The committee also considered 2622, described as moving the state toward a one-door website for constituent access to state services and building on prior work to centralize data and services online. Senator Williams supported the direction as a way to improve virtual access to state government, and the bill was reported out on a do pass motion. The final item, 2673, was presented as a committee substitute creating a study committee to examine government structure and efficiency over the next year, with several planned meetings and participation from House committees and agencies; the committee substitute was adopted and the bill was reported out. The chair then indicated the remaining agenda items would not be taken up unless circumstances changed, and the committee rose and reported.

Transcript Highlights:

• a business or from a government a business or from a government structure<00:02:06.880> perspective
• And then the other state government.
• Chairman, I'm government. And Mr. Mr.
• <00:07:54.720> agency we're creating a new government agency we're creating a new government
• And and I I will I'm state government.

Keywords: Government Structure - Room 216, 29 January, 2026; 4:30 PM, 925, all

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bills 2625 and 2636, both described as part of a broader effort to strengthen state cybersecurity. SB 2625 would create a state chief information officer at the governor’s office level to coordinate IT and cybersecurity policy across agencies. Members and the sponsor said it was a conceptual work in progress, and the committee added a reverse repealer before reporting the bill out as a committee substitute with a do pass recommendation. SB 2636 would create a Department of Cyber Security focused on law enforcement and post-attack response, including investigators and coordination with DPS, the auditor’s office, local jurisdictions, and federal partners. Supporters said the goal was to improve collaboration, protect taxpayer information, and separate network protection and recovery from criminal investigation. Some members questioned whether the new department would overlap with existing IT and law enforcement functions, but sponsors said it was intended to clarify responsibilities rather than duplicate them. The committee added a reverse repealer and reported the bill out as a committee substitute with a do pass recommendation. The committee also considered SB 2632, which would delay action on state disaster recovery funding while awaiting federal changes from FEMA/MEMA. The sponsor said the bill would give the state time to evaluate new federal disaster recovery rules and determine the best approach for Mississippi. The committee added a reverse repealer and reported the bill out as a committee substitute with a do pass recommendation. Finally, the committee heard SB 2817, a Department of Public Safety reorganization bill. It would move the Bureau of Investigation, narcotics, homeland security, and the forensic lab under the State Bureau of Investigation to streamline command and allow more flexible staffing. It would also preserve a telecommunications fee, raise autopsy and salvage inspection fees, and continue discussion of DPS police powers. After questions about the autopsy fee and whether the reorganization would save money, the committee adopted a do pass motion. The chair also noted that SB 2673 would be studied further over the next year before any final action.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, you're operating as a unit of government.
• <00:10:14.880> Uh operating as a unit of government.
• Uh operating as a unit of government.
• and you're going as a unit of government and you're going to<00:10:21.760> seek<00:10:22.079>
• <00:21:03.600> structure that discussed in government structure that discussed in government

Keywords: Government Structure - Room 210; 21 January, 2026: 10:30 AM, 925, all

Summary: The committee first took up an Irish trade commission bill, described as a recurring measure that had previously stalled in the other chamber. Members said prior concerns had been reconciled, no questions were raised, and the committee moved it out by voice vote. The next major item was Senator Boyd’s “People’s Access Act” (SB 2259), which would require public bodies to livestream meetings and provide a central listing of those streams. Boyd said the bill was intended to improve public access, especially for people who cannot attend in person, and noted it had passed the Senate before. Members asked whether the bill would cover subcommittees and subboards; Boyd said those meetings were not contemplated in the bill. Senator Blunt supported the transparency goal but raised concerns about small municipalities lacking staff or equipment to comply, and suggested the notice links be housed on a Department of Finance and Administration page rather than with the Secretary of State. The committee adopted that amendment. After further discussion, members added population-based implementation dates for municipalities and discussed a possible due-diligence exception for technology failures, with several senators emphasizing the need to balance transparency with practical limits for small towns. The bill was then reported out as amended. The committee then began Senator Boyd’s task force bill (SB 2260), which would direct several health and human services agencies—including Medicaid, Human Services, Child Protective Services, Health, and Mental Health—to recommend ways to reduce duplication and improve coordination in licensing and certification processes. Boyd said the bill grew out of testimony about inefficiencies in child care and mental health regulation and was intended to create a more streamlined process. Discussion began, and Senator Sparks suggested considering whether the Department of Rehabilitation Services should also be included, but no action on the bill was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh I speak from experience government.
• <00:04:06.799> more ideas on how to make government more ideas on how to make government more
• of government. Yeah. of government. Yeah.
• committee is tasked with with government committee is tasked with with government structure<00:19
• <00:48:13.440> no governments and other municipalities. no governments and other municipalities

Keywords: Government Structure - Room 409, 12 January, 2026; 2:00 P.M., 925, all

Summary: The committee held its first meeting under its new Government Structure Committee name and began by electing Senator Chris Johnson as secretary. The chair explained the committee’s purpose as improving efficiency, effectiveness, and stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and said members had asked statewide officials and agencies for ideas on streamlining government and reducing costs. Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gibson testified at length about ways his agency has found efficiencies, especially after the COVID-era consolidation of three agencies into one. He said state procurement and construction rules can add major time and cost to projects, citing a proposed $300,000 building that grew to about $1 million through the state process. He recommended raising repair and quote thresholds, streamlining construction procedures, reconsidering restrictions on payments between state agencies, and allowing more flexibility for agencies to help one another when authorized. Members questioned Gibson about the repair caps, the construction cost increase, Ticketmaster and other technology/vendor arrangements, and whether agencies should have more decentralized control over contracts. The chair and several senators agreed the committee should examine red tape, vendor relationships, and procurement rules, and Gibson said he would provide more information and work with the committee. No formal legislation was acted on in the portion provided. The transcript then shifted to testimony from the Insurance Commissioner, who said his department is heavily affected by IT and board structure issues and oversees 17 boards. He urged consolidation of some boards, criticized the effects of SB 2362 on special-fund agencies, and said the State Fire Academy and other operations have been constrained by general-fund treatment and limited authority. He also discussed insurance-rate pressures, including projected premium increases, wind pool rate concerns on the Gulf Coast, and the need for mitigation to stabilize costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• We don't cut local government aid. We don't cut county program aid. We don't do any of that stuff.
• We don't<00:04:44.560> cut<00:04:44.800> local<00:04:45.040> government<00:04:45.360
• <00:04:45.600> We<00:04:45.759> don't don't cut local government aid.
• We don't don't cut local government aid.

Bills: HF2437

Keywords: tax credits, tax increments, housing development, local government, economic aid, 1183, house

Keywords: Government Structure - Room 210; 3 March, 2025: 5:00 PM, 925, all